Bukhara

Samarkand is the
beauty of the earth, but Bukhara is the beauty of the spirit Bukhara the Holy,
Bukhara the Noble, the Dome of Islam, the Pillar of Religion, the most intact
city in the hoary East, the most interesting city in the world.

Bukhara is one of
the most ancient cities of Uzbekistan, situated on a sacred hill, the place
where sacrifices were made by fire-worshippers in springtime. This city was
mentioned in a holy book "Avesta". Bukhara city is supposed to be
founded in the 13th B.C. during reign of Siyavushids who came to power 980
years before Alexander the Great. The name of Bukhara originates from the word
"vihara" which means "monastery" in Sanskrit. The city was
once a large commercial centre on the Great Silk Road.

The city lies west
of Samarkand and was once a centre of learning renowned throughout the Islamic
world. It was here that the great Sheikh Baha-ud-Din Naqshbandi lived. He was a
central figure in the development of the mystical Sufi approach to philosophy,
religion and Islam. Also here were born and lived
Imam al-Bukhari, Abulhasan Rudaki, Abu Ali ibn Sina (Avicenna), who made an
important contribution to science and culture.

In Bukhara there
are more than 350 mosques and 100 religious colleges. Its fortunes waxed and
waned through succeeding empires until it became one of the great Central Asian
Khanates in the 17th century.

Bukhara with more
than 140 architectural monuments is a "town museum" dating back to
the Middle Ages. 2,300 years later, ensembles like the Poi Kalon, Kosh Madrassah,
Ismail Samani Mausoleum, Ark and the Kalian Minaret are attracting a lot of
attention. The city consists of narrow streets, green parks and gardens,
historical and architectural monuments belong to the different epochs, but
locate very close to each other.